The hippo stole his pants

January 9, 2009

One of the best things about Buffy was its writing and especially Marti Noxon, who has gone on to write for real television.

Marti wrote some of my favourite bits including this exchange between Oz and Willow from What’s my line (part two) in Season Two (episode eight/nine):

Oz: (pulls out a cookie and stops) Oh, look! Monkey! And he has a little hat. And little pants.
Willow: (smiles) Yeah, I-I see!
Oz: The monkey’s the only cookie animal that gets to wear clothes, you know that?
Willow smiles brightly.
Oz: You have the sweetest smile I’ve ever seen.
Willow is surprised by the compliment.
Oz: (continues down the hall) So, I’m wondering, do the other cookie animals feel sorta ripped? Like, is the hippo going, ‘Hey, man, where are *my* pants? I have my hippo dignity!’
Willow laughs.
Oz: And you know the monkey’s just, (with a French accent) ‘I mock you with my monkey pants!’
Willow laughs more.
Oz: And there’s a big coup in the zoo.
Willow: The monkey is French?
Oz: All monkeys are French. You didn’t know that?

which is, let’s face it, a great piece of writing.

But then, in Surprise (Season Two, episode 13)we get this follow up in a dream sequence (the ‘she’ in the directions is Buffy):

She finds Willow sitting at a table with a large cup of cappuccino and an organ grinder’s monkey.
Willow: (to the monkey) L’hippo a pique’ ses pantalons.
Translation: The hippo stole his pants.
The monkey on the table with her squeaks. Buffy walks up to the table and looks at Willow curiously. Willow smiles at her and waves. Buffy raises her hand back, but remains confused about the monkey.